PCMA Planners Explore the World Of Meetings at EIBTM in Barcelona

A group of meeting professionals joined 2006 PCMA Chairman Leigh Wintz, CAE, as hosted buyers at the European Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (EIBTM) Nov. 28-30 in Barcelona, Spain, where they learned about more than 100 countries represented at the international exhibition.

More than 2,750 attendees took part in the annual global meetings and incentive exhibition, a 10 percent increase over last year.

The hum of animated conversations in dozens of languages filled the air of the enormous trade show. International destinations were brought to life at the large booths through beautiful photographs, videos, and in some cases, small-scale models of the locales.

"Because I do so many meetings in so many places, I can accomplish a lot at EIBTM in a concentrated effort," said Wintz, executive director of Soroptimist International of the Americas.

Wintz learned that she can receive government assistance to help with attendance building, collateral materials, and a marketing plan for an upcoming meeting she's holding in Montreal. At a Mexico presentation she attended, Wintz was shown how to submit RFPs online. She found out which destinations catered to specific sized meetings, and learned firsthand about new innovations. She also met face to face with international representatives she had only known via e-mail.

Included in the group, for his third EIBTM trip, was longtime PCMA member David Williams, executive director of the International Association of Energy Economics, who found it invaluable to talk in person with suppliers from the different countries he is considering as destinations for his meetings. "You can do the whole world in two and a half days," Williams said. He had 15 pre-scheduled appointments with exhibitors and attended three destination presentations. Representatives showed him photos from books and brochures, telling him about past groups that have met in their cities. Williams' appointments took him to Reykjavik, Iceland; Istanbul, Turkey; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Prague, Czech Republic; and Budapest, Hungary.

Between appointments, he checked out booths from other cities, such as Bahrain - a natural fit for his association of economists in the energy industry.

Mary Ciambrone, senior meetings manager, International Reading Association, said she hoped other PCMA members would take advantage of attending EIBTM. "Meeting suppliers from all over the world, in addition to being able to network with other PCMA members, made this event a very positive experience for me," Ciambrone said.

PCMA members who joined Wintz included Betty Schultz, director of meetings, ASTM International; Linda Still, director of meetings and exhibits, American Association for Cancer Research; Barbara Edwards, president, senior manager, finance and administration, California Host; Renee Battle, CMP, director of meetings and conventions, American Public Transportation Association; David Jewell, regional vice president of the Toronto region, Helms Briscoe; and Brian Stevens, president and CEO, ConferenceDirect.

Another PCMA group will be attending next year's EIBTM in Barcelona Nov. 27-29, 2007. If interested in applying, please contact JoAnna Leon at jleon@pcma.org. Led by PCMA Executive Vice President Sian Moynihan, CMP, a PCMA group will also be attending IMEX 2007 - the Association of Exhibition Organisers trade show - in Frankfurt, Germany April 17-19 as hosted buyers. If interested in applying, please e-mail jleon@pcma.org by Feb. 23. n By Peggy Swisher

New Air Service, Renovations Add to Aruba's Group Appeal

More than $250 million is currently being invested in a wide range of new and improved facilities for the meetings, conventions, and incentive markets in Aruba through 2007.

"Expansions and renovations encompass virtually every sector of the meetings segment of the tourism industry, from the airport and downtown improvement to hotels, spas, and restaurants," said Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA). Properties under renovation include the Occidental, Divi Resorts, Renaissance, Hyatt, Westin Resort & Spa, Holiday Inn, De Palm Tours, Radisson Spa, and the Low-Rise Hotels.

Aruba currently offers 27 hotels and resorts, more than 200 restaurants, championship golf courses, spas, casinos, exclusive shops and boutiques, and cultural activities.

Aruba is also easier to get to than ever before with low-cost carrier JetBlue adding service to the Caribbean island this past September. Aruba has more than 100 non-stop flights every week from 16 North American cities, and one-stop connections from almost every city in the United States and Canada. Aruba's airport has U.S. immigration and customs on site, allowing pre-clearance of all departing passengers to the United States.

Scott Wiggins, executive director of Meet Aruba, the group sales and marketing division of AHATA, assists planners in fulfilling their special groups' requirements. In August, ADP (Automatic Data Processing) held a successful meeting with more than 1,000 attendees and $350,000 in economic impact to the island. The boards of both the International Warehouse Logistics Association and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases convened their meetings in January and this month. Through the Tax Information Exchange Agreement, U.S. taxpayers can also deduct meeting costs.

The U.S. dollar is widely accepted, and although the official languages are Papiamento and Dutch, English and Spanish are also spoken. Most cell phone service and BlackBerries also work on the island. Aruba lies outside the hurricane belt of the Caribbean, and has a year-round average temperature of 82 degrees with low humidity and cooling trade winds. After the day's meetings are over, attendees will find Aruba's beautiful aqua-blue waters perfect for boating, snorkeling, scuba/snuba diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing, or fishing. Landlubbers will find plenty to see and do, from desert jeep tours and horseback riding on the beach to unique attractions like the lighthouse, the Historic Gold Mills, butterfly and ostrich farms, and national and public parks. Unique settings for off-site events include Arikok National Park and Ayo Rock Formation, the Plaza Daniel Leo, or the De Palm or Renaissance islands.

New Hawaii Web site Launched

Planners have a new way to book a meeting in Hawaii, thanks to a new Web site. It is www.businessaloha.com, launched by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) and SMG Hawaii/Hawaii Convention Center (HCC). This online resource is an extension of Hawaii's branding message for the meetings industry; "Where Business and Aloha Meet." As part of a special introductory three-month promotion, HVCB and HCC are offering savings at the convention center and at resort properties statewide - but you must register by March 31, 2007. Visit www.businessaloha.com for details.